Loneliness and Sacrifice
by Raye of the Sunshine
Summary: Stark and Halibel. Loneliness and Sacrifice. How can Sacrifice cure Loneliness' loneliness?


**IMPORTANT: **I CHANGED MY NAME FROM _Raye1084_ TO _Raye of the Sunshine_. ALL of the stories here are STILL MINE.

I had this ready like, three months ago. I'm sorry about not uploading it. I was lazy, and I didn't know if it was any good. I still think it's crud, but I tried.

And yes, I do actually ship Stark and Halibel together. Because of my little sister and our late night talks. 3

STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIED. Enjoy.

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Loneliness. Sacrifice.

Did that have anything to do with their personalities?

Halibel thought so. She genuinely cared for her fracción, and she was much more soft-spoken than the others. She did not desire bloodshed either.

Stark, on the other hand… He was always sleeping or complaining about being tired. Halibel knew that those two could be linked to depression, which could stem from loneliness. He was nearly always by himself (his own fracción didn't count as it was his other half).

So she did think that their aspects of death were related to their personalities.

But it didn't tell her how to make Loneliness understand Sacrifice. It didn't tell her how Sacrifice would make Loneliness understand the reason for Sacrifice's sacrifice.

Like anything else, Sacrifice stood for the sacrifice of love.

But Loneliness didn't understand it. Loneliness didn't see why anyone would sacrifice themselves for love. It was too lonely to see.

Did that mean Stark was lonely too? Halibel wanted to find out, and fix it if he was.

Because she genuinely cared. For not having a heart, she cared. Odd, very odd, especially in the upside-down world of Hueco Mundo.

She decided that she would get to know Stark better. Halibel knew where his quarters were, and she knew that she could get him to do something with her. She'd take him to one of Aizen's fake rivers and watch their 'sky'—he seemed the type to just laze on the bank of a river.

That's where she stood. Outside his rooms. Readying herself to find out just who he was. She knocked and called, "Stark, it's Halibel. Come to the river with me."

It was his fracción that answered. "Halibel-sama," she said with surprise.

"Hello. Could you tell Stark that I'm here?" The girl's name escaped her…

"Sure. Come in." She stepped away and headed into a different room, where a violent noise could be heard, along with shouting. Two minutes later, Stark entered the room Halibel was standing in, rubbing his head.

He looked up and saw her. "Halibel," he started, surprise coloring his tone. "What are you doing here?"  
Halibel didn't speak for a moment. Sacrifice was going to try to get Loneliness out of its shell. "I'm in need of a companion. Come with me to the river. Alone."

His fracción opened her mouth to protest, but Stark was quicker. "All right, fine, since you asked." It wasn't like he had anything better to do anyway.

Halibel smiled underneath her jacket and led him out of the building. She plopped down on the grass by the fake river and settled herself down. He soon joined her, resting his hands underneath his head.

"Why did you bring me out here?" he asked.

"I'm trying to understand you better," she replied.

"But what would make you do that?" he pressured.

"Because you are mysterious to me. I want to know more." It was a pathetic answer, but she didn't want to tell him that she thought Sacrifice could make Loneliness be less lonely.

He gave a chuckle. "Really, Sacrifice? What do you want to know about Loneliness anyway?"

So he _knew._ He knew she what she thought. Halibel hid her surprise, and answered, "Well, for starters, what you really think about Aizen-sama?"

He looked at her sharply. "What makes you think that I'm anything less than his adoring servant?" he demanded.

"I can tell you're not. You're just not as willing to obey him as some of the others are."

"Like that freak Zommari." He spat out the name with disdain. It didn't surprise Halibel, because she thought the same about the seventh Espada.

She gave a smile that he couldn't see, and nodded. "Yes, like him. So, how do you truly feel?"

"I am grateful to Aizen-sama, but I don't feel that he is a god or that he should be leading us. He _was_ a shinigami after all."

"I feel that he is only using us," she whispered. "But I must be happy for this permanent form. I don't need to fear turning back into a Menos."

"That may be, but how would you like it if a shinigami stabbed you in the gut? Or if Neliel came back, and tried claiming her former position from you? I don't think I'd appreciate it then."

"What, you're afraid of the shinigami?" she demanded. In truth, she was wary of them, and would rather not fight one of them, but Sacrifice was trying to understand Loneliness here.

"We ought not to underestimate them. That'll just bring about our deaths," he answered quietly. "I'm not afraid of them. I just don't feel like fighting them."

"You don't feel like doing _anything_," she shot back. "All you ever do is sleep. How in Hueco Mundo did you become the first Espada?"

"That's a secret," he replied cryptically. They sat in silence, and eventually Halibel fell asleep.

~*~

They continued going to the river for weeks. Sometimes she'd bring something to eat, or perhaps a book. Stark carried a pack of cards on him most of time; often they'd eat and play a game of cards while talking. Halibel felt that Sacrifice was finally drawing Loneliness out of its shell. She felt that Sacrifice and Loneliness were finally beginning to understand each other.

Until one afternoon, Lilynette didn't answer the door. Finding no reply, Halibel forced the door open. There, in the sitting room, the little fracción lay on the floor, as if sleeping. Halibel was by the girl's side in a second, but stopped. How would she be able to tell if the girl was alive if Hollows had no heartbeats?

"Don't worry, she's alive." She jumped, startled, and turned to see Stark leaning against the doorframe of his room. "Lilynette's just in a deep sleep." Stark walked over and picked up his fracción, taking her into her own room for a few seconds. Halibel refrained from following him.

He returned and sat in his reclining chair. Halibel sat on the love seat across from him. "Did something happen to her?" she asked.

"Nothing serious did. She's just getting ready," he answered.

Halibel knew why little Lilynette would be getting ready. It was for the war, and it was something that Halibel did not look forward to. She sighed. "I really wish we didn't have to do this. I'd like to just stay in Hueco Mundo in peace, so long as the shinigami don't bother us."

"You know that wouldn't happen. We've got one of their own here," he answered sharply.

"The little princess—I know. Two of my fracción were complaining about her."

He smirked. "It's probably because the little princess is more beautiful than they are. They must be very upset that Aizen-sama is paying more attention to her than he ever has for them."

"They are." She paused. "…so you think she's beautiful?" she inquired quietly.

A thick silence cast around the pair. "For a young woman, yes. But I know of women more beautiful. Young Orihime Inoue will grow up to be a fine woman."

"I see. That's if she survives through this." In the back of her mind she wondered who he thought was more beautiful than the little human in their midst.

"With the way the other Espada and Arrancar treat her, I'll be surprised if she does."

"I know it's not kind, but they know Aizen-sama wants her alive."

"For now," he muttered darkly. Stark stood up and then sat next to her, putting his arm around her shoulder. "I'd hate to lose you Sacrifice."

"Oh, Loneliness…" she trailed off. "You're a good friend Stark. I wish we didn't have to go through this."

"It was our fault for placing our loyalty in Aizen," he whispered in her ear. Suddenly, he reached over and unzipped her jacket to her collar.

"Stark!" she screeched, jumping up. Hastily, she yanked her zipper back up. "What was that for?" she demanded.

"I'd like to see the rest of your face. I figured the only way I was going to be able to do that was if I surprised you." A genuinely apologetic expression covered his face.

"You should have asked," she answered, cheeks reddening. Slowly, she unzipped her jacket to her collar, revealing her jaw and therefore her mask.

He leaned over and touched her mask, tracing her jaw down to her collarbone. "Is there a reason why you hide this?" he asked after a few minutes.

"I think it's because it's what left of my sacrifice," she answered, avoiding the question. "It extends all the way to here," she continued, tracing her mask down to where it was not revealed.

"Sacrifice," he repeated. He idly touched his own mask. "Mine must be from suicide or something," he mused. "Because I'm Loneliness."

"Yes, but are you _lonely_?" she blurted, before she could think about what she was saying.

"Not after having been with you all this time," he answered, smirking.

"Does Loneliness understand Sacrifice now?" Halibel asked.

"I think he does." He kissed her hand and then led her out of his quarters, towards their river.

"Stark? What are we doing?" Halibel was still surprised he had kissed her hand. Then, after seeing a passing Arrancar look at her, she zipped up her jacket again.

"It won't be long before the little princess's friends come and get her. I think one last retreat to our river is a good idea."

She protested no further, and soon enough they were lying on the bank of the river, her head on his chest. What sort of relationship they had now, she didn't know, but Halibel was satisfied.

~*~

He was fighting two Vaizard and that shinigami captain, while she was doing the same. Concern for her flitted at the back of his mind, but he paid it no heed. She could take care of herself.

Kyoraku, the captain, caught him by surprise. "Thinking about a lady?" he asked.

"No," he replied calmly. Stark was thoroughly surprised he had been able to tell.

"That lady Espada is something," his opponent commented, possibly to rile him up.

"Her _name_ is _Halilbel_," he snapped, and they parried again.

"So I see; she is special to you, isn't she?" Now the shinigami had an irritating smirk on his face.

"Hollows don't have hearts; didn't you know?" Stark asked, avoiding the question.

"That I did," Kyoraku answered, and tossed off his captain's robe. Stark watched him, waiting for his next move, ready to retaliate. "Black," he said, and slashed Stark across the chest.

It shouldn't have surprised him, he supposed, as he fell. Of course the shinigami would have said black. He would be dead by the time he hit the ground. Shame, and he was hoping to escape this war and live in peace by the river. In the distance he heard Halibel scream.

~*~

"_Stark!_" Halibel screamed, and almost raced after him. However, she had to fight her way through three opponents, which slowed her down. Angrily, she swiped her sword and forced them away from her, giving her an opening. She dashed towards him—only to be stopped by Aizen. "Wha—" she began, but he slashed her across the chest.

"You're useless," he said calmly. "I have no more need of you." Knowing it was pointless, she stabbed him in the face. The illusion cracked, and Aizen appeared from behind her and made the final blow.

Halibel whistled through the air as she fell through the sky. With her last bit of strength, she directed her fall towards where Stark had landed earlier. After she landed with a crash, she dragged herself over to him. She was beginning to lose all sense of the world.

~*~

"Halibel?" he muttered when he saw her face draw near. Stark was taking his time to die; he _had_ been la primera espada after all.

"Stark," she groaned, coming to a stop, her face next to his. She was bleeding profusely. "Don't… be… lonely…"

"No," he said in agreement.

Together, they died. Loneliness was no longer lonely, and Sacrifice had cured that loneliness.

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